Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) functionary Kalaichelvan (47) has been booked by the Chennai police for allegedly attacking a media person who was covering a raid by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). The incident took place on Thursday, February 29, when the NCB was raiding an office related to AR Jaffer Sadiq, Tamil film producer and expelled DMK functionary, in relation to an international drug trafficking racket.
According to sources, the premises of a company called ‘Sahara Couriers’ was being raided in connection with the drug racket. Cameraperson Senthil Kumar and another reporter had gone to report the searches. The reporters alleged that they were threatened by a woman, who tried to snatch away their camera, while they were recording visuals. Later, the woman alleged that the cameraman touched her and a few men, alleged to be DMK persons, reportedly attacked Senthil and forced him to delete the visuals from his camera. Senthil has been admitted to Royapettah government hospital.
Based on Senthil’s complaint, Nungambakkam police have registered a first information report (FIR) on March 1, against Kalaichelvan and arrested him. Kalaichelvan is also said to be a close aide of DMK’s West Chennai secretary Chitrarasu. Further investigation is underway.
Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai has slammed the DMK government over the incident and said, “DMK goons have attacked @polimernews reporters today for covering the NCB raid in Sahara Couriers owned by DMK functionary Sitrarasu, a person close to Gopalapuram Scion. Sahara Couriers is learnt as the point of drug distribution for Jafar Sadiq. @BJP4TamilNadu condemns this act of barbarism & we wish to remind Thiru @mkstalin once again that his commitment as CM is to the people of TN & not to drug peddlers.”
Jaffer Sadiq was the DMK Chennai West Deputy Organiser (NRI Wing). On February 15, a joint operation by NCB and the Delhi police recovered 50 kg of Pseudoephedrine, a chemical drug, in New Delhi. They found that the mastermind behind the nexus was Jaffer and the network was spread over India, New Zealand, Australia and Malaysia, who carried out the drug trafficking through air and sea cargo by hiding them in food products such as health mix powder and dry coconuts.
Read: Jaffer Sadiq mastermind behind international drug racket: NCB